Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State has distanced his administration from negotiating with bandits or paying ransom for kidnapped victims, noting that doing so would only embolden the criminals and worsen the insecurity bedevilling the state.

The governor made his position known when he paid a condolence visit to the people of Rijau and Magama local councils, whose communities were recently invaded by armed bandits.

A statement issued to newsmen in Minna by the Special Adviser to the governor on Print Media, Aisha Wakaso, revealed that the governor noted that the state had reached a point where the people must stand up and defend themselves, cautioning that ransom payments would only turn kidnapping into a thriving business.

Governor Bago added, “We will not negotiate with bandits. I will not pay ransom. The moment we start paying, they will open shop on our heads and keep kidnapping people,” describing the situation as a state of war that required collective resistance.

He further explained that it is a constitutional duty to protect the lives and property of the people, adding that he will do his utmost to achieve this since the constitution does not specify how far he should go in safeguarding the people.

“We are surrounded by enemies, but we will not give up. The constitution gives us the right to defend our lives and property, and we will do just that. There is no going back,” he said.

Bago described it as embarrassing and unacceptable that communities could be invaded and their residents turned into internally displaced persons.

He announced plans to recruit and train 10,000 people for the Joint Task Force (JTF) to help restore security, with recruitment to begin immediately.

Bago also declared a total ban on mining across the entire Zone C of the state, which covers eight local government areas, including Magama, Kontagora, Rijau, Wushishi, Mariga, Borgu, Mashegu, and Agwara.

He maintained that illegal mining had become one of the major drivers of insecurity in the area, with miners often accessing forest zones unarmed while residents suffered repeated attacks.

He said. “It is suspicious that miners can enter the forests freely, yet the bandits don’t touch them.”

The governor ordered the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to arrest anyone caught engaging in mining activities.

The governor assured the victims of recent attacks that his administration would provide them with support. He also promised compensation for families of those killed, including medical treatment for the injured, and assistance for those who lost their sources of livelihood.